The British theater and film actress, singer, author and “Oscar” winner is one of the romantic mimes of the Hollywood dream factory. Especially in musicals and fairy tale films, in which she embodied the lovable and sincere character, Julie Andrews became a star. She celebrated her international breakthrough in the 1960s with “My Fair Lady” and “Mary Poppins”. With the humorous musical “Victor and Victoria” (1982) she became an accepted figure in the film and music world. Disney Studios named Andrews a “Disney Legend” in 1991. In 1999 she was made Dame Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. She received the Grammy Liftime Achievement Award for lifetime achievement in 2011 and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2019. Her most successful films include “The Torn Curtain”, “Sound of Music” and “10 – Die Traumfrau”…
Julia Elizabeth Welles was born on October 1, 1935 in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, UK.
Julie Andrews grew up in sheltered, middle-class circumstances. Her parents recognized their daughter’s talent while she was still at school. She participated in theater groups and already existed in the most demanding roles. In order to further develop the talent, she took private acting lessons in her free time. At the age of twelve she played her first professional role in 1947 in the “Starlight Roof Revue”. After numerous other successes, she celebrated her Broadway debut in 1953 with “The Boy Friend”. Her breakthrough came in 1956 when she portrayed the cheeky flower seller “Eliza Doolittle” in “My Fair Lady”. In 1959 she married set designer Tony Walton; In 1964 daughter Emma was born.
However, in 1960 she played the role of “Guinevere” in the musical “Camelot”, which was written exclusively for her. In 1964 the film “Only for Officers” (The Americanization of Emily) followed. Andrews became an international star in 1964 with the Walt Disney musical “Mary Poppins”. In it she played the fairy of the same name, who enchanted millions of viewers as a nanny. In the film adaptation of her Broadway success “My Fair Lady” Audrey Hepburn was given preference. There was much speculation as to the reason for this. In 1965, Andrews received the Oscar for Best Actress for his portrayal of Mary Poppins. Andrews starred opposite James Garner for the first time in 1964’s “Officers Only” and held his own in this demanding role. With “My Songs – My Dreams” from 1965, Andrews delivered another box office hit. Again, like “Mary Poppins”, the film was awarded a total of five “Oscars”, and she received the “Golden Globe” for the role of “Maria”.
In 1966 she was seen totally outside of her usual genre. Alfred Hitchcock cast Andrews and Paul Newman in The Torn Curtain. With the star cast and under the direction of the old master of suspense, a crime thriller of the extra class was created. Andrews and Tony Walton’s marriage ended in divorce in 1967. In 1969, Andrews married her colleague Blanke Edwards, with whom she realized a total of six productions and together appeared in front of the camera in “Darling Lili” in 1970. From 1972 to 1973 she hosted The Julie Andrews Hour, which aired on ABC. Another big success brought her in 1978 with the comedy “10 – Die Traumfrau” with Bo Derek and Dudley Moore. In it, Andrews played the partner of the successful composer George Webber, who coincidentally meets the woman of his dreams during his midlife crisis.
Andrews celebrated her greatest musical success in 1982 with the humorous musical “Victor and Victoria” with James Garner. She played an unsuccessful singer in Paris in the 1920s, who brings about her artistic career by pretending to be a Polish transvestite actor, who in turn pretends to be a woman. In 1983, Andrews received her third Golden Globe Award for Best Leading Role for this role. The play “Victor and Victoria” starred her on Broadway until 1996. Also in 1996, the actress had to undergo vocal cord surgery, which was unsuccessful. The result was the loss of her singing voice for a year. She then began working as a children’s book author. In the 1980s and 1990s she was further in such films as “Women were his hobby” (1983), “A spicy affair” (1991), “Don’t leave me alone, mother!” (1991), “Magic of a Winter’s Night” (1999) or “Suddenly Princess!” (2001) to see.
On 31 December 1999 she was elevated to the rank of Dame Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. The sequel to the film “The Princess Diaries 2” hit theaters in 2004. As an author, Julie Andrews published the titles “Dragon: Hound of Honor” (2005), “Simeon’s Gift” (2006) and “The great American Mousical”, also from 2006. 2007 was published under the title “Home ” her autobiography. The actress was honored for her lifetime achievement at the Screen Actors Guild Awards that same year. In 2010 she stood in front of the camera for “Tooth Fairy on Probation”. She received the Grammy Liftime Achievement Award for lifetime achievement in 2011 and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2019.
Filmography
1964 – Mary Poppins
1964 – Officers only
1965 – My songs – my dreams
1966 – Hawaii
1966 – The Torn Curtain
1967 – Modern Millie
1968 – Star
1969 – Darling Lili
1974 – The fruit of the tropical tree
1979 – Ten – The Dream Woman
1980 – A lovely brat
1982 – Victor/Victoria
1982 – Hollywood’s Last Howler – S.O.B.
1984 – Women were his hobby
1986 – That”s Life – That’s life
1991 – Tchin Tchin
1995 – Victor/Victoria (Broadway musical version)
2000 – Relative Values
2001 – Suddenly Princess
2003 – Unconditional Love
2004 – Shrek 2 (voice)
2004 – Princess Diaries 2
2004 – Shrek 2 (Shrek 2) (voice)
2007 – Shrek the Third (voice)
2007 – Enchanted (voice)
2010 – Tooth Fairy on probation
What is Julie Andrews best known for?
Julie Andrews is best known for “The Sound of Music” (1965) and “The Princess Diaries” (2001). Per critics, her best works are “Victor Victoria” (1982) and “Mary Poppins” (1964). But her lowest-rated films are “Unconditional Love” (2002) and “The Tooth Fairy” (2010).
What show made Julie Andrews famous?
Andrews made her Broadway debut in 1954 in the American production of the popular British musical spoof The Boy Friend. In 1956 she created the role of the Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle in Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s classic musical My Fair Lady.
Why did Walt Disney choose Julie Andrews?
His secretary suggested the Broadway star of My Fair Lady, Julie Andrews. Walt chose her after watching her performance in Camelot and being impressed by her loud clear whistle. She chose Walt after Jack Warner rejected her for the My Fair Lady movie, claiming the actress was unphotogenic.
How old was Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins?
87 years
October 1, 1935
Why does Mary Poppins have every second Tuesday off?
In the original Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews’ practically perfect nanny insists that she must have the second Tuesday of the month off– presumably to hang out up in her cloud and get away from it all.
How much did Julie Andrews make in Mary Poppins?
The actress earned just $225,000 for her performance.
